This week in ridiculous regulations: known mailers and medical gases

The Supreme Court issued an unfavorable but narrow decision in the Moore v. United States case about taxing income that was never received. CEI’s Eye on FTC project released a timeline of FTC abuses over the last three years. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from cottage cheese to the United Soybean Board.

 On to the data:

• Agencies issued 62 final regulations last week, after 57 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every two hours and 43 minutes.
• With 1,489 final regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 3,102 final regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 3,018 new final regulations in 2023, 3,168 in 2022, and 3,257 in 2021.
• Agencies issued 28 proposed regulations in the Federal Register last week, after 21 the previous week.
• With 837 proposed regulations so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 1,744 proposed regulations this year.
• For comparison, there were 2,102 proposed regulations in 2023, 2,044 in 2022, and 2,094 in 2021.
• Agencies published 398 notices last week, after 510 notices the previous week.
• With 11,156 notices so far in 2024, agencies are on pace to issue 23,242 notices this year.
• For comparison, there were 22,902 notices in 2023, 22,505 in 2022, and 20,018 in 2021.
• Last week, 1,150 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 2,380 pages the previous week.
• The average Federal Register issue in 2024 contains 449 pages.
• With 52,354 pages so far, the 2024 Federal Register is on pace for 109,071 pages.
• For comparison, the 2023 Federal Register totals 90,402 pages, the 2022 Federal Register has 80,756 pages, and 2021’s is 74,352 pages. The all-time record adjusted page count (subtracting skips, jumps, and blank pages) is 96,994, set in 2016.
• Rules with $200 million or more of economic effects in at least one year qualify as major under Section 3(f)(1). This replaces the former economically significant tag for $100 million-plus regulations. There are 13 such rules so far in 2024, with none in the last week.
• This is on pace for 27 3(f)(1) regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 28 3(f)(1) and/or economically significant regulations in 2023, 43 economically significant rules in 2022, and 26 in 2021. Note that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons, since 3(f)(1) and economically significant rules have different thresholds.
• The total estimated cost of 2024’s 3(f)(1) major regulations ranges from net savings of $17.82 billion to net savings of $22.87 billion, per the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
• For comparison, the cost tally for 2023’s 3(f)(1) major and economically significant regulations ranges from $62.60 billion to 90.48 billion. Cost estimates for 2022’s economically significant rules range $45.28 billion to $78.05 billion. In 2021, net costs ranged from $13.54 billion to $1992 billion. The exact numbers depend on discount rates and other assumptions.
• There was one new final regulation meeting the broader definition of “significant” last week, after two the previous week.
• So far this year, there are 179 new regulations meeting the broader definition of “significant.” This is on pace for 373 significant regulations in 2024.
• For comparison, there were 290 such regulations in 2023, 255 in 2022, and 387 in 2021.
• So far in 2024, 358 new regulations affect small businesses, on pace for 746. Thirty-seven of them are significant, on pace for 77.
• For comparison, in 2023 there were 789 regulations affecting small businesses, 79 of them significant. In 2022 there were 912 regulations affecting small businesses, 70 of them significant. 2021’s totals were 912 regulations affecting small businesses, 101 of them significant.

Highlights from last week’s new final regulations:

• Medicated feed mill licenses.
• A correction to EPA greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles.
• A safety zone around a fireworks show in Bayfield, Wisconsin.
• A new CFPB about unlawful and unenforceable contract terms.
• Transferring flounder quotas from Virginia to Rhode Island.
• Customs declaration exceptions.
• The Transportation Department has a new rule for workplace alcohol and drug testing.
• Make that two new rules.
• Marine mammal casualties related to New England offshore wind products.
• New SEC regulations for SPACs and shell companies.
• Nuclear fees for fiscal year 2024.
• Exemptions in privacy rules for certain diversity-related Veterans Affairs Department records.
• Salmon harvest specifications.
• The Postal Service has a Known Mailer program.
• Labels for medical gases.
• Russia and Belarus sanctions.
• Taking marine mammals.

And from last week’s proposed regulations:

• Cottage cheese tracing.
• Representation on the United Soybean Board.
• Disability evidence requirements for railroad workers.
• Pacific sardine specifications.
• New training requirements for personnel serving on US-flagged passenger ships that carry more than 12 passengers on internation voyages.
• Housing subsidies for veterans.
• Transportation Department regulations for workplace drug and alcohol testing.
• Three species will not be added to the Endangered Species List.
• Inspection fees for agricultural imports.
• Conflict of interest rules for Energy Department grants.
• Extended comment period for updated bassinet and cradle safety standards.
• Indefinite delivery vehicles.

For more data, see Ten Thousand Commandments and follow @10KC and @RegoftheDay on Twitter.